Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chairing a meeting with Chief Ministers of the states on Saturday via video conferencing. A decision over lockdown extension is likely to be taken after the meeting.
In his last meeting with the CMs, PM Modi had soughtsuggestions on lifting the lockdown.
PM Modi held a meeting with Parliamentary floor leaders ofdifferent parties this morning. However, there is unlikely to be any immediateannouncement, before April 11, say sources.
The meeting started at 11 a.m. through video conferencing, todecide the future course of action as far as coronavirus outbreak in India isconcerned, among other key issues.
India has entered the fifteenth day of its21-day nationwide lockdown imposed by the Centre to reduce the spread of thecoronavirus in the country.
The primary point on the agenda remains whether to end the lockdown or extend it and if the government wishes to withdraw it, what should be the approach. The current shutdown is slated to end on April 14.
Another point of discussion is the economic impact of the shutdown and how to deal with it. Money released to states, future of daily wage workers who are the worst hit due to total shutdown and scope if any possible economic package are also on the table to discuss in the meeting, said sources.
The total number of positive Covid-19 casesbreached the 5000-mark and as many as 149 people have been reported dead fromthe disease. A total of 5194 cases have been reported so far, of which 401people have recovered. The Supreme Court today told the government that Coronavirustesting should be free of cost even in private labs.
